In 1906, a big shipment of Old Early Times bourbon left Bardstown, Ky., bound for Las Vegas’ Arizona Club. To get here, it traveled a lot longer than Las Vegas Distillery spirits do to get to local liquor stores. Distiller George Rácz paved the way for future local artisan distillers in 2011 by becoming the first legal Nevada distillery since Prohibition. Rácz is grateful, and gives back to the state that took a chance on him by using local or Nevada-grown products wherever possible for his vodka, whiskey and gin—even if it means harvesting the juniper himself.

Incredible things are happening in Henderson. Just stop by Las Vegas Distillery one afternoon for a firsthand look at operations. Owner/distiller George Racz isn’t taking lightly the distinction of being the first legal Nevada distillery since Prohibition. He and his “Copper Angels” (twin copper pot stills) have been busy crafting an entire portfolio of products including last year’s Rumskey (a rum/whiskey hybrid) and his impending gin, whiskey and bourbon, all slated to debut this fall.

George Racz worked tirelessly for 2½ years to launch Nevada’s first legal distillery, at a time when the state’s struggling economy could use some diversity. The Romanian immigrant seemed to have everything going his way when he began operating Las Vegas Distillery in March. All he needed next was passage during this year’s legislative session of Assembly Bill 542, which would establish the guidelines and provide licensing for craft distilleries in Nevada. But after the Assembly unanimously passed the bill on June 4, it died on the Senate floor.

As George Rácz’s first batch of vodka poured from one of his two 170-gallon artisan pot stills into a vat during its second round of distillation on April 1, the Las Vegas Distillery founder brushed off a comment that he was making history.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “But I’m very happy.”
He should be. Since being featured in Vegas Seven [“Spirit of the West,” March 17], Rácz’s Henderson-based operation received the final approval needed from the state to open Nevada’s first legal distillery.

George Rácz knew creating a distillery in the desert would be difficult, especially since there is no precedent in Nevada for such an endeavor. But as he nears the end of a 2½-year journey, Rácz is optimistic that he is on the brink of history.